The field of this invention is that of putting multiple independent cables onto a single spool and terminating the cables with a pulling head with axially spaced connectors for pulling into a conduit.
Multiple conductor cabling consisting of multiple, independent wires or conductors are an integral part of many systems, including electrical and power systems. Such cabling may be installed by pulling the independent conductors in parallel through pipe or conduit over long distances. A pulling rope running through the conduit is attached to each conductor, and the rope is pulled through the conduit, drawing the multiple conductors cabling from multiple spools or other delivery mechanisms and through the conduit. The amount to force required to pull several conductors through a length conduit, potentially with many bends or turns, may be substantial, and if the force is applied to the cabling improperly, one or more conductors may be prohibitively damaged during the pull. Such damage may hamper performance of the multiple conductor cabling or present safety issues. In addition, finding and repairing the damaged portions of the conductors may be prohibitively expensive or physically impossible, and may necessitate replacement of the entire cabling.
The conductors may be attached to the pulling rope through a pulling head. Traditionally, pulling heads are created for a given pull on an ad hoc basis at the jobsite. This procedure adds time and expense to the installation of the cabling and requires the installers have the tools and skills necessary for creation of the pulling heads. These ad hoc created pulling heads may also lead to damaged conductors during the pull.
Recent industry progress has been made in terms of wrapping multiple wires or cables onto a single spool, bringing the single spool to a termination table in a shop, and terminating the cable with a pulling head before shipment to the field for installation. Each wire or cable has an independent crimp connector from the pulling head, and each crimp connector represents a lump in the cable. If all the crimp connector “lumps” occur at one place, they simply will not go into a conduit which is efficiently designed, i.e. not oversized. For this reason, they are spaced apart a distance, i.e. 6 inches. When the single spool is brought to the termination table, all the wires or cables will be cut to a common dimension. As they are cut to a required varying distance. An amount of expensive cable will be wasted.
A need has existed since the inception of this handling of multiple conductors or wires or cables in a conduit which will quickly install a termination head without wasting sections of conductor or wire or cable in each termination.